Opinion - Finding a route to the future

The recent news that Ordnance Survey is offering free and unrestricted access to most of its mapping data raises some important questions about the future direction of the organisation, and the ways in which the UK’s mapping data is to be maintained and used in the future.

John Taylor, Geoplan managing director, argues that a fundamental change in the business model adopted by Ordnance Survey should be adopted, taking into account the current state of Public finances, and recognising that the provision of free data does not guarantee wider use of OS mapping data. Instead, adding greater value to the data OS provides will actually help build revenue and enable OS to compete effectively against the growing range of mapping products entering the market.

At the heart of the new strategy at Ordnance Survey is the decision to provide data to the public data for free from a publicly-owned organisation. As funding for Government is primarily through taxation, the concept of "Free" data to the public is actually a misnomer. There is, in fact, no need to offer data “Free” to business, start up or otherwise, because inherently the business will generate profits from this “Free” data - it should therefore be charged for.

Indeed, data costs are not currently so prohibitive that businesses have been prevented from developing marketable ideas from data which is charged for. Indeed, existing suppliers often provide free samples and support already. If a business needs "Free" data to start it probably lacks a variety of other necessary success criteria for success and wouldn’t benefit from free data at all.

Ultimately, the only argument for "Free" is if the data provided is designed to engender awareness, interest, adoption and investment in update and upgrades to other higher level data, more up to date data or other software and services provided by the data owner. The provision of “Free” data should either make or save money for the data owner i.e. add value.

The key is to facilitate broad awareness and access to generate more demand and add true value. Many businesses will be affected by the decision to release Ordnance Survey data for free, but if a business fails because of these decisions then it was not truly adding value and should quite rightly fail.

Looking at the future of Ordnance Survey, the first thing to do is to examine the organisation as an isolated commercial business, detached from Government. Its investment and business strategy can then be viewed cleanly in the context of the current marketplace and once this is understood, objectives, applications and revenue streams from all sources including Government, public sector, private sector and indeed the public can be considered. It seems that at present we are starting our thinking from an already constrained position and this is narrowing our perceived strategic options.

In addition, integration of data and spatial data, using a uniform projection across borders and countries is increasingly important. Even within the UK, correlation between postal geography, ONS/GRO geography and central/local government geographies would deliver significant benefits as the postcode is the most universally recognised and attached to most consumer and business data records.

In the final analysis, Ordnance survey is already under pressure from cheaper or "Free" access products. There is an increased expectation of "Free" in certain quarters and this dynamic is already at play for all elements of the supply chain. The key is to add true value, and the businesses that do not or cannot will fail - and quite rightly.